SidesofLies
by Annabeth Rider
Summary: A basic one-shot of how i believe Virgil was created and the Sides reacted to it.


"I found a dollar."

Logan blinked and Patton giggled as he pulled the dollar out from beneath the bed. "I... wow. I am messy."

"I've always told you that, love."

Logan rolls his eyes and takes the dollar, placing it on the desk. "Now, your next word?"

"Oh, right! Ummm..." Patton glances about, thinking. "Trees!"

"Weeping willow."

"Uh... fruit!"

"Apple."

"Mph... Authors."

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle." Logan grins as he turns back to his computer. "Come now, I asked for a challenge."

Patton sighs and closes his eyes, hmphing. "I know but you're so good at these! Oh, I got one!"

"Hm?"

"Colors!"

Logan pauses, then a sly grin passes over his face. "Sky blue. What else would I choose?"

Patton puts his hands up to his mouth as his voice shoots up two octaves. "Awwwww!"

"Shush." Logan winks. "Alright, my turn. Philosopher."

"Uh... Kant!"

Logan tilts his head and nods. "Took a second. Now, cartoon?"

"Disney!"

"DID SOMEONE SAY DISNEY?!"

Logan falls off his chair as Patton screams bloody murder. Roman glances between them. "What?"

"You did the... popping in thing. When did you switch out?"

"I don't know, maybe a minute ago?"

Logan nods and tries to gracefully pick up his chair. "Dark Side tendency still in you."

Roman nods in agreement. "Anyways, I'm here, queer, and ready to hear what you have to say for the next two hours!"

Logan sighs as Patton mutters confusedly, "We're all queer... what?"

"Anyways!" Logan snaps his fingers to get the two's attention again. "Thomas has officially hit puberty and Patton has been feeling the burn. Thus, we came here to give him a small break from the backlash of his room, and you followed us."

Roman shrugs. "Just as well, that room is toxic after a while."

"I've taken to sleeping here in Logan's room so that I don't wake up drained and hurt Thomas."

Logan grins but clears his throat. "Anyways, Rom, how does Tenebris fare?"

"'Tenebris'?"

"Latin for death, and my personal name for Deceit."

Roman chuckles. "That fits him so well... anyways, brother has ensured I don't see much from his eyes, but what I have seen is a mutual agreement between the two thorns in our sides."

"Ah, but not a thorn of _agape_ love like Paul's, correct?"

"I- yes, I suppose, Teach."

Logan grimaces. "My apologies, as the head of both logical and faithful tendencies, I can... have rather overextended Biblical imagery."

Patton yelps and Logan again almost falls over by the loud noise. "A warning, love!"

"Sorry, Thomas just saw a cute guy and aaaagh he wants to talk to him ggggch!"

"Let him!" cries Roman, jumping up and down in excitement.

"No what if something goes wrong aaaa anxiety up my b-hole!"

Logan snaps his fingers in an attempt to rein in the derailed conversation. "Focus, focus!"

The two eventually calm down and Roman closes one eye as a strand of white tries to sneak into his hair. "Remus is pissed, I need a sec hold up."

He disappears as a Dark Side does and Logan watches irritably as Patton rocks back and forth trying to console himself. "Come here, you hormonal idiot."

Patton gratefully jumps up and slams himself into Logan's lap, his cat hoodie appearing on his head as he snuggles up against Logan. "You're warm..."

Logan softly laughs and rests his chin on Patton's head. "And you're an adorable idiot."

"I'm your adorable idiot, you mean."

Logan shakes his head. "Whatever you say, Pat."

For a second he sits there, softly rubbing down Patton's back, then he ventures conversation. "Say, Pat?"

"Mm?"

"What if... I could get rid of your negative thoughts? Or at least the ones that plague you the most. Would that help you?"

Patton looks up with soulful eyes. "You'd do that? Doesn't that mean you'd have to give up something too?"

Logan sighs. "I- yes. If we create a side to alleviate your burdens, then I would need to get rid of my positive emotions to balance them out."

"Your positive emotions? That means..."

"I will never stop, love." Logan kisses Patton on the forehead, a tender gesture. "That's a promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Inside the Twins' mind...**

"Shut up!"

Roman ducked as Remus threw a shuriken his way. "How dare you talk about me behind my back!"

"You tell me yourself! I know you and that snake has been brainstorming to get rid of me!"

"Guilty as charged," Remus replied with an eyebrow raise. "But you can't blame me for wanting the _boring_ side of me gone."

Roman clenched and unclenched his fist. "You know not what you say, Duke."

"Oh poo." Remus' face went pouty. "You frolic with your birds and bees and you want rid of your little brother? Very well."

A metallic hiss echoed through the mind-space. Remus drew a two-handed broadsword, with the vivid destructive imagery of a castle being struck by lightning, the guard black and the hilt green. Roman responded by drawing a rapier, smaller and pure grey and white, with an inscription in Latin along the hilt: _Dulce periculum_.

Remus cackles when he sees ancient regards. "Did Logan help dress your sword, brother dear?"

Roman scowls and raises his blade. "No, I found the phrase myself. I took your words for myself. 'Danger is sweet', brother."

Remus scowls in response. "_En guarde,_ Roman."

"_En guarde,_ and farewell."

With a bow, the brothers strike.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan was just waving farewell to Patton when Roman stumbled into the room. He quickly looked him over with a keen eye. "Rom... where's your twin?"

"He has his own form now." Roman grins. "I'm exhausted, but I cast him from me. Hopefully, I'll never see him again. Now, if you'll excuse me, our room split in two and I want to go to bed."

Logan flicked his hand in dismissal and Roman sank into the floor. He then tousles his hair and turns back to his computer. As happens often when he is alone, a string of muttering began forming. "Two hours' work, two hours' play, four hours' sleep, that is how I save the day- dear God I need to put a lid on that."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Late, late, in the night, the three Light Sides turn to their instruments. Logan at a piano, Patton with a violin, and Roman with a guitar. Logan was the first to forego silence, beginning with chords of 7, then crescendoing into chromatic scales, choral left-hand arrangements, and a great glissando into the quieter second movement of his composition.

Patton was the second to forego silence, playing first deep chromatics into the heart of the low range of the violin, then crescendoing as he ascended into the voice of heavenly angels, closing his eyes as a deep 6/8 movement flows through his mind, then decrescendoing into a darker minor chord for a second movement.

Roman plays hard and fast, imagining a horse galloping across a moonlit plane. His mind takes him back to the times of castles and knights, as his guitar strums faster and faster- then halts for a second before the sound like a twang of a bow comes from him and a minor chord floats through the air- the king is shot, let Prince Roman catch the assassin!

Great glissandoes create an air of discord in the air as the left hand belts out great throbbing minor chords deep in the piano as Logan grits his teeth and plays consecutive thirds from the triple C down to the first upon the bass clef. He then works his way into the major 7ths once more, stabbing the main melody with jazz harmonies from the 20s and the final note throbs with a minor deep in the bass clef, warning of the darkness still left in the song. Logan then sighs and closes the lid. "Piece title: My Mind."

The violin plays softly, every major attempt spiked by a minor final note. Silently Patton's tears stain the woodwork as the violin descends further and further into a minor voice, spiraling downwards from happiness. Finally, it returns, speaking in thirds, and a harkening to Sherlock's soundtrack as Patton reminds himself of who is helping him this very instant. The song ends on a series of notes of joy, and Patton can almost imagine him hugging... he puts the violin reverently into his case and whispers, "My Heart, though it is yours..."

Roman plays a major followed by its minor in a series of discordious harmonies as he thinks of the brother he has left behind. Then, shall Prince Roman catch the wily assassin Remus and vanquish him! He grins as he plays a triumphant major chord, then places down the guitar.

_Three Sides there be until three becomes four_

_One that will lead his father before_

_The gates of Death, Destruction, and Sadness_

_He is Virgil, Anxiety's practice_

_Patton and Logan soon shall see_

_Not even a Prince can help these Sides three._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The process had left Patton drained. Because of this, Logan carefully left him in an undocumented corner of Thomas's mind, knowing full well what would happen if Tenebris or Remus found him in his state. But because Roman is now his own person, he now had to dance around what Roman asked of him since, well, Patton isn't around and Roman is curious.

\--

"What're you doing?"

Logan sighed as the irrational anger swelled within him once again at Roman's query. _I knew the side effects would be crippling, but this much anger from a simple question?_ "I have already told you, Roman. I am working on a small side project of mine."

"You never let me see what you're working on! Patton would-"

"Don't bring him up!" Logan whirled around in his seat, then checked himself as he saw Roman jump back in surprise. "I... I'm sorry. That was rather forward of me."

"'Rather forward'? Logan, I know you've got a tendency to large words, but lately, it's been a bit much."

Logan sighed and rubbed his forehead. "What do you expect me to do, apologize?"

"Well, yes?"

"No."

Logan turned back to the computer as Roman huffed. "Can we... play a word association game?"

"If you refrain from overbearing on the Disney references. However, if you wish to speak of Disney, then a game of Quotes is more my alley."

Roman smirked at that. "Fine. Um... 'If you kill him you'll have to kill me too'."

"Pocahontas, I believe."

"'Trust me, pet'."

"Rapunzel?"

"Yeah. 'When you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand'."

"Hunchback of Notre Dame, my personal favorite."

"Of course it is. Ugh." Roman twirls in place, practicing some moves. "I despair of thinking of lines from a movie. I'd rather listen to your theological drivel."

"That... was a brilliant statement, Roman," Logan blinked a few times to be sure he did not imagine the words.

"Yes, I can sometimes act smart."

Logan internally winced at the scorn. "If I offended you, I-"

"No need for your wasted apologies, Teach. If I wanted an apology I'd talk to Patton, he's the best of the three of us."

Logan couldn't argue against that. "Well, if you wish to hear my 'theological drivel', as you said, I have more than a few lines I can speak of right now."

Roman sighs. "Go ahead, Teach. Old Testament, this time, since you've been speaking of the New for awhile."

"That's true." Logan grins as he opens up a new page on his computer and writes something onto his whiteboard above him. "Let's speak of David, why not?"

"Oh, I actually like this guy."

Logan turns around in his chair as Roman sits cross-legged on the floor. "The King of Israel became King through a long-winded battle. He was anointed by a great prophet at a young age and then went to live in King Saul's palace. He played the harp there and earned the good grace of Saul's son, Jonathan. However, his father didn't like David's claim to the throne and threw spears at him when he played. When Jonathan died in battle, David fled Israel and Saul's wrath, but when Saul died he mourned him and his best friend, then took the throne of Israel, slaying Israel's enemies."

Roman claps his hands giddily. "I love that part! Oh, what about his son?"

Logan grins. "Solomon was an interesting fellow. His father begged God to let him build the Temple, but God told David that only his son would do it, as he didn't want his Holy Place to be tainted by the blood of Israel's enemies. When Solomon was a boy, he was visited by God in a dream and asked what he wanted in the world. He asked for wisdom- the same thing I'd do in that situation- and God granted him wealth as well. He also had the famous 'Solomon Solution', where to find the real mother of a child, he offered to slice the child in half. The real mother gave up her son instead of watching him get chopped."

"Oooo, so gory, I love it!"

Logan grins and leans over, patting Roman on the head. "I know, Rom, I know."

Roman grins and nods enthusiastically. He then stood and yawned. "Logan, I think I'm gonna go back to my room. Yours stifles me if I stay too long."

"Of course, arrivederci."

"What was that?"

"Italian."

"Oh."

Roman sank away and Logan sighs as he stares down the research he's found. "_Father in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you on your feet, Dad?"

"I'll live, at least. Get your cloak, V, we're leaving."

The child left to do as Patton said, as Patton himself donned a dark midnight blue cloak. A prayer wrapped around his heart as Virgil reentered the room, a purple bordering on black now hugging his figure. Patton looks him over and nods. "Remember where we're going?"

"Through the darkness to the green, past the twins' place then to Logan, right?"

Patton nods. "And what I told you?"

"Not seen, not heard, not a whisper, not a word."

Patton places a finger to his lips and nods, leading Virgil through the darkness into the unknown. Soon their eyes adjusted, and soon after that, the darkness began to let up to dark green, then light green. Patton gathered his wits, straining to hear in the emptiness the sound of their presence being found. Then he heard the dark multiplied voice echo through the chamber: "Patton... Oh, Patton... You the sheep have strayed from your shepherd."

Remus appeared before the two and Patton quickly hid Virgil. "Aye, but a sheep turned wolf can defend his flock better."

Remus chortles. "So true, so true. So why have you ventured in my side of the mindscape? Did your shepherd send you to pick a bone with me, wolf, on behalf of my brother?"

"No, I am just- wait."

"Yes, Roman and I are now true brothers." Remus grins connivingly as he stares down Patton. "That doesn't _scare_ you in any way, does it?"

Remus then looks behind Patton. "Who is that?"

Patton curses under his breath as Remus raises an eyebrow. "A child?"

"He is not yours to take!"

"Perhaps not mine, but... thank you, Dee."

Patton whirls around to see Deceit with a knife to Virgil's throat. Virgil is crying hard, his eyes begging Patton to help. A sob builds in Patton's throat. "Please, don't... don't hurt him."

"No one but Logan can heal wounds." Deceit hisses. "Logic triumphs over emotion, after all. So if you want us to spare the boy... then let him become one of us."

Patton closes his eyes and nods. Instantly a sharp pain occurs, and he glances down in shock to see Remus's sword extending from his gut.

"DAD!"

Remus removes the sword and shoves Patton to the side, then saunters over to Deceit and Virgil. Tears stream down the boy's face as he stares in absolute shock at Remus. Remus smirks and lifts the boy's chin. "Forget this day, boy. You have no relation to him. You have no relation to Light."

Patton groans from the ground and Remus turns and sneers at him. "As for you, sheep, you fail to realize how much you so desperately need your shepherd. As long as you don't stray from his side I cannot touch you. You've no idea how many times I have torn him limb from limb to try and get to you, but he _always- stands- in- my- **way**_. Now you have strayed, and I have enacted my revenge. Return to my brother, sheep, and warn him of how strong I truly am!"

With a cackle, Remus waves his hand and teleports Patton to Logan's side. Deceit chuckles. "My oh my, you outdid yourself, my gremlin."

"And you did wonderfully, my snake." Remus curls his lip as he stares at Virgil. "Get the boy initiated. I want him ready when Logan's wrath descends."

Deceit bows his head in acceptance and whisks Virgil away. Remus laughs giddily and sings to himself, "_Monster knows best, listen to your monster, it's a scary world out there..."_

\--

Patton appears in Logan's room, slamming against the desk to stay upright. Logan whirls around and grabs ahold of him with his left hand, using his right to summon bandages and antiseptic. "Dear God, what happened to you?!"

"Attacked- Remus- took Virgil-!"

"I shouldn't have asked, hold on!"

Logan quickly leads Patton to his bed and rolls up his shirt. He then presses the gauze over the wound, Patton clenching his teeth. Finally, he wraps the bandages around tightly, securing the gauze in place. He shoves his hair out of his eyes as Patton closes his eyes in relief. Logan then leans back and places his hands before him in a steeple position. "Now what happened?"

Patton sighs and shakily answers, "Remus ambush... when we went through his room... Wanted Virgil... took by force..."

"Okay, that's all I needed." Logan carefully lays Patton onto the bed and gives him a soft forehead kiss. "Rest now, love."

Patton smiles and closes his eyes. Soon a deep slumber overcame him. Logan adjusts his tie and sighs, closing his eyes. When they reopen, a deep fire burns within them. "I will take care of this. That's a promise."

\--

Barely an hour later, when he is sure Patton will not wake, Logan slips from his room to the Dark Sides' corner of the mindscape. As he reappears he adjusts his tie and slowly breathes in and out. "This is your battlefield."

He then raises his voice and calls, "Remus! A word?"

Remus appears before him, a smirk on his face. "What do you need, shepherd?"

"I have come to barter for the life of Virgil."

Remus laughs. "There's no need to argue, Teach. His life is already in my hands. He doesn't like you boring Light Sides. He's got my gifts, making him more powerful than even you."

"There is no- metaphor. Remus, need I tell you why he is important to me?"

"I already know you love your sheep, why don't you tell me?"

Logan grits his teeth and prepares to spit fire. "You tell me that Virgil is yours. Falsehood. You tell me he cares not for Light. Falsehood. You say you are more powerful than me? _Falsehood_. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that I have found Patton in a pool of his own blood. But when you deny him the one thing that will give his soul happiness and tranquility when even his _mindspace_ is toxic? I gain enough rage to render your entire existence obsolete."

"Logan I- SWEET CORALINE WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

Patton slowly gets up. "Roman, that hurt..."

Roman blinks at the state of Patton. "That hurt? I believe you're hurting more. I know my wounds, what happened?"

"Your brother-"

"SAY NO MORE!"

Roman slips beneath the floor. Patton sighs. "Logan's on it..."

He lays back down slowly and makes vague arm movements at the ceiling of constellations.

Remus cackles as Logan huffs in rage. "You know, I do know I'm not as powerful as you. But this new side? He has so much to offer us, so much destruction, so much darkness... it's honestly surprising he's Patton's son, though... You helped, didn't you?"

Logan steps back as Remus connivingly grins. "I knew it. I saw that ability to think, to overanalyze, to see every possible outcome, and focus on the bad... that is pure you."

"I only gave him my best."

"Oh I know, that's why you're so riled," says Remus with a shake of his shoulders. "Side effects and whatnot. But he did gain some of Patton's tendencies- a love of rain, violin playing, music appreciation... with all the dark emotions that come with it. Say, I should introduce you!"

Logan blinks as Remus sing-calls into the void: "VIIIIRGIL!"

A deep demonic voice layered over itself three or four times echoes through the mindscape: "What is it, Remus?"

"Come say hi to Logan!"

Virgil appears, hunched over, and Logan takes a step back from the sheer malevolent presence. Virgil grins in a sneer. "Hello, Logan. Remus has told me all about you. The one who gave me my anxiety."

"I-"

Virgil scoffs. "You didn't think about how you are literally the _least_ emotional side? Oh sure, throw my two cents in with the darkness Patton faces, and _maybe_ that'll create a decent side. _Maybe_. Instead, it created me: screwed up, unable to function half the time, a seething ball of self-hate that only exists to make others feel worse."

For the first time, tears prick at the sides of Logan's eyes, and he touches them in surprise. "I-I... I was only trying to help."

"Yeah. Yourself. You didn't care about how bad I was going to be, you just want to help 'happy pappy Patton'."

"I care for everyone! I care for Thomas's wellbeing!"

"But if it comes at Patton's expense, no cost will be too high, even condemning a side's life."

Virgil sighs, shaking his head. "Leave, Logan. Never seek me out alone. I will do what I was created to do, even with the headache involved in knowing I was formed only to ease others' burdens, never for others to ease my own."

"Virgil-"

"Never refer to me by my real name unless I give you permission, _Logic_."

Remus and Virgil disappear, leaving Logan, crying, in the empty space. Roman, in ill time, then appears. "Brother I-! Logan... how..?"

"Never tell Patton about this." Logan systematically rubs away his tears. "And don't use Virgil's name."

"I-why?"

"Try to forget it. Tell Patton to do so. He is gone. He doesn't want anything to do with us. Promise me you will never remind Patton of this day, or tell him of what you see me as now."

Roman gently nods. "I- of course. I give you my word, Logan."

"Thank you." Logan sighs and straightens, fixating himself back into the 'no emotions' role. "Do I look like myself?"

Roman sighs. "Ever the strict one, Teach."

A small smile tugs on the corner of his mouth, but Logan quells it. "Good. I expect top-notch work from you, Roman. That is all, dismissed."

Roman's face is a mixture of sadness and resignation, but he nods obediently and sinks into the floor. Logan then turns and calls, "I know you're listening, Anxiety. Please... be more than what Remus tells you."

No answer comes back. Logan sighs and disappears.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Several years later...)

Logan sits at his computer as Roman and Patton (irritably!) converse behind him. Then his attention is snapped to the conversation.

"I feel like I know Virgil, like I knew him before now! Is that weird? I mean, I know he's always had a presence, but I feel like... he's important to me."

Logan gives a brief side-eye to Roman, who also remembers that day. Roman quickly defuses the situation by chuckling heartily and saying, "Oh, Pat, maybe then you should give him a name!"

"Unlike your insults, I think I'll call him 'kiddo', y'know, as a dad would! That's oddly familiar..."

Roman again deflects- "Then, uh, check your room! Maybe there's something there that reminds you of him!"

"Good idea, I'll go check!"

After Patton sinks through the floor, Roman turns to Logan. "I don't know what to do, what if the repressed memories come back?!"

"I don't know how this works, you think I'm the one to turn to?!"

"Uh, uh- We need a code word, something we can say around him you haven't said since that day!"

Logan takes a breath in and closes his eyes, thinking back. "Falsehood."

"What?"

"Falsehood. It's the last thing I said to Remus, and the first thing I said to Virgil- technically. Also, Patton used to think it was 'adorable', and wondered why I stopped at first."

Roman shrugs. "Okay, fine, yell that randomly and if Patton remembers, he'll know what it means."

"Good plan."

Patton reappears and Logan swivels back to his computer. "I found this hoodie in my closet."

The hoodie is black with purple patches, with a thundercloud emblem. Roman looks it over and nods. "Give it to Virgil and see if he'll change next episode."

"Sounds good!"

Patton disappears and Roman turns to Logan again. "What will we do if he remembers?"

Logan sighs. "Accept it. We've yet to find out if Remus suppressed Virgil's memories either. We'll figure it out together."

"Over a jar of Crofter's."

"Obviously."


End file.
